


Release

by horseGhost



Series: phicc phight 2020 [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: 18th Century, Circus, Gen, London, Trials, senseless murder of dozens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23436130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horseGhost/pseuds/horseGhost
Summary: Pariah Dark got out again! Danny goes to take care of it, but Pariah is acting.... weird. Not-evil weird. Turns out something or someone else caused Pariah (If that is his real name) to be the raging tyrant history knows him as, but the influence has ended and he's a new (or renewed) person now. What changed, and who's at fault?
Relationships: Pariah Dark & Danny Fenton, Pariah Dark & Fright Knight
Series: phicc phight 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685926
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23
Collections: Phic Phight!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Habato](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Habato/gifts).



> this is for phicc phight 2020, from a prompt written by ao3 user Habato!

TESTIMONY OF THE FRIGHT KNIGHT PERTAINING TO THE ALLEGED TRUTH BEHIND PARIAH DARK, CE 2004

Every ghost, in the Zone or in the world, knows the legend of Pariah Dark. He was a tyrannical ghost who enslaved his closest friend, and killed all his others. It took the power of the six strongest sorcerers in the Ghost Zone to seal him away-- for good, in theory. Nobody still in existence could say the truth of the matter, until now. I was there, and this statement I make today will detail my account of Pariah Dark’s fall from grace. As a knight of the Ghost Zone’s former Old Kingdom, I give my complete and honest word.

_Statement begins._

Pariah, too, was a knight of the Ghost Zone. His name was Tarran, and mine was Amaku. For centuries, we served the High Court of the King Achilles as brothers. You see, a king did not rule without a court and a parliament of ghosts dubbed Observants to remove him if his power grew out of control. Checks and balances, one might say.

Knights were employed much in the way police are now-- they stopped ghosts infringing on the rights others claimed. It shames me to say that it enabled knights themselves to infringe on those rights, further so to admit that my brother and myself were once those knights. We pushed ghosts who could not defend themselves out of their rightful lairs and claimed it as the King’s land, thinking we were doing a good thing by expanding his empire. It was during one of these raids that we discovered a portal, a natural one, that led to the year CE 1769 within the World of the Living.

Tarran was the one who hesitated entering-- Even now, I am rather impulsive and hot-headed. (Forgive the pun.) But I convinced him to journey past the portal with me and explore what life was like now.

In a word, it was breathtaking. We had found ourselves in a country that hadn’t even been a concept when we were alive. The people did not speak in Greek, and they did not write like it either. It took us years to learn their language. But there were two things we knew quickly. This country was the heart of an empire, and its people were in the midst of an industrial revolution. Technology like we had never seen before now existed, and entertainment to go along with it. Stageplays with women, games played with paper cards,  _ paper _ , and, most importantly, the circus.

Many people knew we were ghosts and avoided us, some even tried to fight us, but we paid them no mind. They couldn’t hurt us-- or so we thought.

No, we soon came across a very strange man, one who I later learned to be named Philip Astley. Normally, he would not have been a problem, but the wretch had crafted himself a very peculiar staff, the very nature of which was terrifying to Tarran and myself. It made short work of taking control of our willpower.

When I first came to, Astley was there, but Tarran was still under the staff’s spell. A hostage, he explained. And soon, an act at his circus. He explained that the best performances come from authenticity of character, and he would be expecting me to be authentic. So I was… for a while.

But Astley had discovered the portal, not yet and perhaps not ever closed. And from there he drew other ghosts.

Some were ghosts I had never met before. Farmers, hunters, gladiators, even the occasional prince. But worse were those I  _ had _ met. Fellow knights, ghosts whose land I had stolen, members of the parliament. Each of them went under his spell and became part of the circus. All but me.

Astley was a craftsman, I learned, and he had a fascination with the supernatural. An expert craftsman, I must stress-- he made talismans that were indistinguishable from artifacts made in the Ghost Zone. Many fell into obsolescence and became spread around the world, but three persisted. The first was titled the Soul Shredder. It was a sword that could rend anybody cut with it into a dimension of their own nightmares. This he granted to me.

The other two belonged hand in hand. They were called the Crown of Fire, which burned with the life force of its possessor and restored it tenfold, and the Ring of Rage that diverted latent energy into the body of its holder. The two of them only worked when they were both worn-- that much energy could incinerate somebody unfit.

As it was, I was deemed unfit for it, and the artifacts were given to Tarran. With them, his power became immense-- stronger than that of King Achilles. And he was renamed accordingly: Pariah Dark. His act? Entertaining the people of London with a brilliant light show that, at the time, could only be done with the signature ray attack every ghost has. The living folk were amazed at this, and at the targets these attacks struck. They seemed to vaporize into thin air, with no remnants. The truth was, they were. Those were ghosts I knew, and ghosts I didn’t know, being eviscerated without a second glance in their direction from Tarran. Me, I looked every ghost I had to banish in the eyes and hoped they would know I was sorry.

In the beginning, at least. Over time, banishing ghosts to their own personal hells became less of a burden, and more of a simple task. They were no longer people, but simple obstacles to be overcome. Slowly, I began following Pariah’s lead.

And then, it happened. At the turn of the century, Pariah overwhelmed the new ringmaster-- not so well-versed in the ways of ghosts, he was--and took the staff for himself. The portal we had arrived through itself had not closed, for its anchor in the world had failed to deteriorate even after millennia. So was our return to the Ghost Zone.

But my friend Tarran had changed-- such, he no longer existed. No, instead, Pariah Dark existed in his place. And he made me his knight, under threat of my own evisceration. And so we conquered the Ghost Zone. We deposed the king and put the Parliament under control of the staff, and as such we ruled. He was close, very close to taking over all of the Ghost Zone, and the world was in sight. But he made the mistake of encroaching upon the Super-Sargasso Sorcerers.

These sorcerers lived in the corner of the Zone where lost worldly items tend to end up, and because of this, they were not easy to find. But once they had been disturbed, their retaliation was not merciful. They fashioned a sarcophagus to seal Pariah Dark within and imprisoned me within my sword.

The next time we were both released, the staff was missing, but those under its influence remained that way. It was in the ensuing battles that I turned sides, allying myself to Vlad Plasmius. Following this, Pariah was sealed away and remains imprisoned to this day.

I notice now that the influence seems to be fading from Pariah Dark's soldiers, for they act less like soldiers and more like people nowadays. Eventually, I hope the same will prove true for Tarran.

_ Statement ends. _


	2. Chapter 2

Danny woke up to a very familiar noise.

“ _ Beware _ ,” cried the ghost, “For the  _ Box Ghost _ has seen--”

Danny was in ghost form before he knew it. “What is it this time?” he said dismissively, a ghost ray already charging in his hand.

“You  _ misunderstand _ , Danny Phantom,” the Box Ghost said. “I do not come to  _ terrorize _ you with my  _ cardboard boxes _ or  _ bubble wrap _ !” He paused to take a breath, something normally unnecessary for ghosts. However, the Box Ghost spoke with inordinate volume, even for him. “You see,  _ I _ see something that strikes  _ fear _ into the hearts of all ghosts!  _ Pariah Dark is breaking loose _ !”

Danny doesn’t waste a second grabbing the ghost by his collar. “Take me there. I’ll do everything I can.”

“I was simply searching around for a box of _great enough_ _power_ to grant me the _terror_ I rightfully _deserve_ to strike into the hearts of all!” said the Box Ghost midway through his journey with Danny to the Keep. “But then I saw-- the _Sarcophagus_ was _moving_! So, naturally, I employed the help of the most powerful ghost I knew to _shut him away_!”

“ _ I’m _ the most powerful ghost you know?” Danny said. “Uh, thanks.” His heart wasn’t in it, though. He had nearly died, died  _ for real _ , the last time he’d taken on Pariah. And now that the suit was gone, there was no way, on Earth or in the Zone, that he’d be able to seal him away again.

When they finally made it to the Keep, Danny went in first-- and gasped.

Not only was the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep moving, cracks lined the seams and keyhole. It was like an egg hatching-- only, instead of new life, it would… Danny shook the thought.

“ _ Do something! _ ” wailed the Box Ghost. “Stop it from opening!”

Jolted into action, Danny flew over to the sarcophagus. He pressed his hands on it, trying to force it to close.  _ Crud. My powers have never been for healing! _ In a last-ditch attempt, he filled his hands with energy and let loose on it.

Bad decision.

A massive explosion threw Danny against the opposite wall, pinning him in front of the Box Ghost. He squeezed his eyes shut as a massive chill wracked his body. The Box Ghost screamed. Danny didn’t blame him. Pariah was out.

He would kill them both, no doubt about it, once he saw them. No. He was already looking at them. He wasn’t moving yet. Danny didn’t think he had to if he wanted to eviscerate them.

Pariah didn’t even acknowledge them. He looked down, at his gauntlets, at the Ring. He wasn’t wearing the Crown-- Danny had hidden that in the lab, such that he couldn’t have found it even if he wanted to. Pariah couldn’t be all-powerful if he couldn’t find the crown-- Danny had that much going for him.

Danny glanced behind him. The Box Ghost was edging away, ready to run. Danny made eye contact with him, and nodded.  _ I’ll take care of him. _ The ghost nodded back and darted out of the Keep, through a hole the explosion had opened.

When Danny looked back, Pariah had taken the Ring of Rage off. He held it in his hand, seemingly showing it to Danny.

Then it burst into flames.

Danny’s eyes widened.  _ What is he doing? _ He watched as the Ring cracked, then fell apart, then turned to dust. Pariah looked back at Danny. “Boy,” he called. “Come here.”

Danny flinched, then drifted closer, painstakingly slow. Pariah clearly noticed this, and announced: “I wish to speak. If I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead.”

Danny frowned, finally complying. He stood-- rather, floated --face to face with the Ghost King. “I don’t understand. Why  _ am _ I not dead?”

“Do you know of a man called Astley?” asked Pariah. “Or, perhaps, Elliston?”

Danny shook his head.

“I suppose, then, that you know not of what happened to me,” he said. “There may be only one who does.”

“There are legends about you,” said Danny. “That you were going to conquer all of the Ghost Zone. That you killed anybody who resisted you. That this was the only way to stop you. They don’t say anything about Astley or Elliston.”

“Those legends are all true,” Pariah said. “I conquered, I killed, I ruled. I was a hateful ghost as much as I was hated. Even now, that same rage clouds my vision. My compulsions, still, are strong. But now my will is stronger.”

That reminded Danny of his own experience-- Circus Gothica. Freakshow’s staff had tied strings to him and played him like a puppet. He remembered trying not to give in to his commands, and failing each time. It was only seeing his best friend risk her life trying to bring him back that made him break through, even after the staff was gone.

He cleared his throat. “Astley… By any chance, was he a ringmaster?”

Pariah snarled. “It continues?” His eyes glowed intensely, and his hand went to his sword. As Danny jumped back, he stiffened. Slowly, slowly, his hand drew away. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them again, the glow was gone. He sighed. “Forgive me.”

By way of explanation, Danny responded: “Um, there was a man named Freakshow, and he put me under his control. I was in his circus, and he made me steal, with a couple other ghosts. The staff is broken now, though, so it’s okay!”

“And it no longer influences you?” Pariah stared into Danny’s eyes.

“No, um, when my friend was in danger, I managed to break free to save her. I don’t feel it anymore.”

“Very interesting,” Pariah said. “You and I may be alike.”

“You had a friend?” Danny asked. “The Fright Knight?”

“His name was Amaku,” said Pariah. “He was not always my servant. In fact, I think that was why he finally betrayed me.”

“Do you think it would have been different if the hypnosis had worn off before?” asked Danny.

“I think I never would have been myself again if it had not been for his betrayal,” Pariah said. “Sorrow is a powerful thing. Did you not feel fear when your friend was in danger?”

“I was terrified,” Danny said. “If I hadn’t saved her…”

“Then you understand, yes?” Pariah turned towards the exit. “However, it escapes me how I will regain his trust. Or the trust of anybody else.”

“I trust you,” Danny offered. “You didn’t mean to do any of this. It wasn’t you behind the wheel.”

“But it was still me who killed thousands and enslaved thousands more.” Pariah closed his eyes. “Voluntary or not, I am still a murderer. I cannot even trust myself not to kill you.”

“But--”

“Surrender, Pariah Dark!” Danny heard. The doorway was now barricaded by a handful of Observants, led by the Box Ghost and backed by--

“No way.” Just outside the Keep, six cloaked ghosts stood. Danny could feel the potency of the energy they exuded. “The Ancients?”

“I’m afraid my time here is up,” said Pariah. “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, boy.”

“Wait!” Danny cried. “You don’t have to--”

He was ignored. “Seize him!” an Observant cried. Immediately the sorcerers stepped forward and raised their arms in unison. Pariah grunted as an unseen force dragged him to the floor.

“Stop!” Danny shouted. He rushed towards their formation, preparing to tackle the rightmost one. “You have to stop! He’s--”

The sorcerer he was targeting raised his other arm, slamming Danny against the ground. He saw stars. He wouldn’t be able to get up, he realized… He was at their mercy.

Danny bolted awake to the sound of pounding on metal. “Get up, punk!” said Walker. “Trial’s in thirty minutes.”

“Huh?” Danny got his bearings and realized he was in ghost form, sitting in a prison cell. “Trial? I thought you didn’t do those.”

“It ain’t my trial,” Walker said, on the other side of the door. “I’m just holdin’ you till it starts. You have a statement to make, don’t you?”

“A statement?”

“Don’t tell me you were defendin’ Pariah Dark for no reason!” Walker said. “Going as far as to try to attack an Ancient? Either you’re suicidal, or you have some sort of motive.”

“Right!” Danny said. “Pariah isn’t a bad guy, he was just--”

“Save it,” Walker cut him off. “You’ll have a whole audience to hear you in…” He glanced at his watch. “Five minutes. Come on, punk.” He unlocked the door, and just as Danny was about to step out, cuffed him.

Danny complied with a groan. “You know I can phase out of these whenever I want to?”

“It’s protocol, kid. Gotta follow it whether it’s logical or not.”

Danny huffed.

The trial itself was painfully long-- much of it was listing off Pariah’s crimes in the Ghost Zone, and further prosecution, then rebuttal. Then, the Observants began calling forward witnesses.

The first was the Fright Knight, who gave his testimony simply and without casting a single glance towards Pariah. Danny was amazed-- a  _ living person _ had created the Soul Shredder?

Eventually, the Fright Knight brought his testimony to a close. The judge, an Observant with a golden eye, turned in Danny’s direction.

“Next is Danny Fenton, a half-living human who is supposed to have been under the influence of a hypnosis staff, the same as Pariah Dark. Please come forward and make your statement.”

Danny took a deep breath and stepped on the pedestal. It was a ghost device that would discharge a massive output of energy if the ghost standing on it told a lie, electrifying it to incapacitation. Perjury was impossible to get away with.

“I… was hypnotized by the ringmaster of a circus, among other ghosts. Circus Gothica,” he began.

“Specify for us,” the judge said, “the experience. What could and couldn’t you do?”

“It was like… watching a video of myself.” Danny’s heart fluttered. “I could see everything I was doing, but it was hard to understand just  _ what _ I had done until I broke free. And I couldn’t actually  _ do _ anything I wanted. I could move, if I wanted to, but I couldn’t act out or anything. It was like there was this voice in my head telling me what to do, and I just had to do it, even when I couldn’t actually  _ hear _ it talking.”

“Now, you said you broke free,” the judge said. “How did you do that, and what did it involve?”

_ Don’t cry.  _ Don’t _ cry. _ “I, um… My friend was in danger. She was going to get really hurt, and maybe… die. It kind of tore me into reality. I thought, I  _ had _ to do something, and then I could. I could save her life. I was so scared the staff wouldn’t let me.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fenton,” the judge said. “You may step down.”

Shakily, Danny took his seat.

“Jury, you may now make your verdict,” the judge announced. Danny swallowed. He didn’t have a good feeling.

Of course, the verdict was instantaneous: Pariah Dark was guilty on all charges. The judge nodded. “I see. You will be punished accordingly. However, I must take into account the fact that you did not do it knowingly. You will not be executed.” Danny sank in his seat. He was suddenly weary with relief.

“Pariah Dark. You will spend eternity in prison.” Well, that wasn’t much better.

Pariah nodded. “Very well.” He and Danny looked at each other for a long moment. Danny saw nothing but resolve in his expression.

Danny left the courtroom feeling horrible. He knew what Pariah had done to Amity, and he had been instrumental in stopping him. Still, when he learned the truth, he couldn’t help but feel like he had failed to save him. He was about to take off towards home when a heavy gauntlet clapped onto his shoulder.

Danny turned to see the Fright Knight’s imposing armor. He straightened, preparing for conflict. “I, uh…”

Danny was swept into a tight hug. “Thank you,” the Fright Knight said, “for saving Tarran.”

“He was like me,” Danny said, returning the hug. “Forced to be evil.”

“Tarran is my friend,” said the Fright Knight. “He was gone, for a long, long time. But, thanks to you, he’s back. And he isn’t leaving anytime soon.”

“That’s, uh, surprisingly earnest coming from the spirit of Halloween,” Danny said. “I thought you liked poetic terms.”

“Yes, well, a flair for the dramatic and the shadows of society often go hand in hand,” said the Fright Knight, setting Danny down. “But nobody exists without a heart.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Sleep soundly tonight, Danny Phantom, for my blade will never again seek  _ your _ heart.” With that, the Fright Knight turned away.

Danny turned away too. How strange, he thought flying back, that he was now allies with the ghost that had almost been the death of him. But then again, his existence was a strange one. What was a little solidarity among two ghosts under the same circumstances?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe danny does just want to help people. who am i to hold that against him?


End file.
